Various types of kinetic energy accumulators are known, including those that embody the flywheel principle, for use in systems that require the accumulation and/or smoothing of (regular or irregular) oscillatory or pulsating energy in its transfer from a source to a load. Similarly, various types of energy transfer systems, some of which incorporate accumulators, have been proposed for transferring kinetic energy from moving vehicles to electrical or fluid-pressure generators. In this context reference is made to the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,975 (Chiappetti) filed 30 Apr. 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,161 (Calvo et al) filed 2 Dec. 2002.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,568 (Takara) granted 7 Jan. 1997 describes a flywheel energy storage system for being driven by a low output electrical motor and comprising a plurality of spaced apart flywheels in the form of rotatable plates arranged one on top of another and having a common axis of rotation. Permanent magnets are mounted in alignment on adjacent ones of the plates so as to be in opposing (repulsively poled) orientation. The motor drives rotation of a first of the flywheels and thereby the rotation of the subsequent flywheels by virtue of the magnetic repulsive force between the aligned permanent magnets mounted on successive flywheels. However, the flywheels are all driven at the same time by the motor to accumulate kinetic energy in the system, making the system inefficient.
The accumulator of the present invention (as below defined) is described in relation to an energy transfer system of a type in which kinetic energy is derived from moving vehicles, and the invention is hereinafter described by way of example in that context. However, it is to be understood that the invention has broader application, to an accumulator per se and to an energy transfer system that utilises any one of a number of sources that possess kinetic energy, including moving humans or other animals, waves, ocean swells or tides, road vehicles and mechanical devices or systems that perform repetitive movements.